[Flutterby11]

my brain is not the same anymore and it means one of my only dreams is no longer possible. has anyone else had their dream stolen because of bipolar?

[Wander]

Over and over again. I have been unable to finish two degrees (trying my third now but not hopefully I will ever be well enough to work in the field). Lost close friends and partners. Jobs and the chance to have a group of friends. ( I have a couple but most live interstate or overseas.). I am also barely hanging on to a low paid casual retail job due to my many lengthy absences. I have also lost a career as a Case Manager and Project Manager.

It grieves me no end so i can understand the hurt you a are going through. To get through I stay focused in the present and do what I can to have a great future, even though I believe it is a farce sometimes. Everyday I try to work towards a better future just in case I go into remission and can function like a normal person again. I try to hope but fail at times. But I stubborn and keep getting up.

You have hope for your future. You may have symptoms throughout your life but they will not always be this bad. In fact you may become one of the high functioning BP people. Your dreams may not be possible right now but a time may come when they are. Hang in there and do what you can each day to find a life worth living. To be honest I have felt great hopelessness about my future recently to the point of SI. It takes all my strength to not give up but I just keep trying and hope things will improve.

[Sunflower123]

Originally Posted by Flutterby11

my brain is not the same anymore and it means one of my only dreams is no longer possible. has anyone else had their dream stolen because of bipolar?

I've never had any dreams stolen. How are you doing? I've been worried about you.

[12AM]

My Bipolar stole every single dream that I used to have. It took everything away from me, family, friends, career, I even lost myself at some point in my life due to this illness.

But after years, as I gain more knowledge and insight about Bipolar, about myself, about what this illness does to me, about what I can do to encounter it, I found new dreams that even more wonderful than the ones that I lost.

[IntentOnHealing]

Yes. Lots of dreams stolen. Breaks my heart. Over and over and over. Lost jobs, lost friends, worst of all--lost reputation in some circles.

Every single response to your question, dear Flutter, was an echo in my heart. Every single one.

At the same time, I believe in looking for, figuring out, and listening to "the message in the mania." I'll post about that concept sometime. When I feel better. And maybe I'll even be able to actually look for, uncover, and listen to that message myself.

By this I mean that I think it's possible that maybe some of my problems with work/school, etc. are related to mania and depression in that certain things happening there (changes, criticisms, bosses coming or going, etc.) are things that are so stressful and intolerable to me that mania or depression is induced by them. And that, if I can work on those particular issues and the way I manage them, maybe I can become more stress tolerant and thus less likely to lose, in time, those employment dreams. I'm not sure that makes any sense...but I'm very willing to look into it...because I want to work. And while I'll maybe never have my dream job, working at all has become my dream at this point.

Hugs, Flutter--

[Blossomx]

Yes me too I feel like I single-handedly destroyed any dream I've ever had
Because of having bipolar.
But to me those dreams were not meant to be I feel as though everything does happen for a reason in a sense that what is meant to be will be and we just have to learn from experience and of course new /better dreams will come later

[Unrigged64072835]

Originally Posted by IntentOnHealing

By this I mean that I think it's possible that maybe some of my problems with work/school, etc. are related to mania and depression in that certain things happening there (changes, criticisms, bosses coming or going, etc.) are things that are so stressful and intolerable to me that mania or depression is induced by them.

That's how I felt when I ended losing my career in 2012. I was climbing up the ladder, so the pressure was on. I'm now going back to school, but I will not have the same amount of money as I did back then. I'm just going to do what I enjoy until I die.

Travelling, property, friends--they're all gone. I retired early on disability so I'm just sifting through what I can and can't do.

[IntentOnHealing]

Originally Posted by Fharraige

. I'm just going to do what I enjoy until I die.

Travelling, property, friends--they're all gone. I retired early on disability so I'm just sifting through what I can and can't do.

What is it you enjoy? And I hear you. My sister calls going on SSDI "retiring early." That is meant to make things easier for me in terms of accepting that I need disability. It doesn't.

But I'm putting the cart before the horse. Who even knows if they will give it to me? Actually, I hate using the word "give" in this context. Sheesh. It's my money!

That said...what happened to your friends? Do they all go away because you're not working or just the ones you had from work?

I'm scared. Mine are far enough away at this point anyhow.

[Flutterby11]

Originally Posted by Jennifer 1967

I've never had any dreams stolen. How are you doing? I've been worried about you.

i am not doing well i am really all over the shop and i am tired but not tired it is hard for me to explain.

[Flutterby11]

i am sorry you all have also lost things it really does hurt. i dont know how to find a new dream everything still calls me to the old one (sigh) maybe i am just not meant to be happy.

[Blossomx]

Originally Posted by Flutterby11

i am sorry you all have also lost things it really does hurt. i dont know how to find a new dream everything still calls me to the old one (sigh) maybe i am just not meant to be happy.

I think like that too sometimes but you got to try your best to move forward, eventually you will start to enjoy some other things and develop new dreams.
I'd like to think that when a door closes another and better door will open.

[Flutterby11]

i hope so

[19J82]

I had my dream job that I'd wanted since childhood, married the love of my life and believed I was in about as good a place as I could be. I'd had a suspicion about Bipolar a few years ago, but the Dr I spoke to dismissed it out of hand and pretty much laughed me out of the surgery.
Now I've lost everything, my home, my wife, my job and I'm in serious legal and financial difficulties. Bipolar has certainly stolen my dreams and everything else as well. I find myself staying in bed longer and longer because the sleep allows me to be someone else somewhere else, or I find myself dreaming of the past when I knew what happiness was. I think it would be rather nice to just stay in one of the good dreams one day and not wake up to this nightmare reality anymore.